The end of May produced very active weather across the state of Utah, with widespread thunderstorms on most days. Several flash floods were observed across southern Utah, and multiple severe thunderstorms occurred across the northern half of the state.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS SLC wrote it up.
The end of May produced very active weather across the state of Utah, with widespread thunderstorms on most days. Several flash floods were observed across southern Utah, and multiple severe thunderstorms occurred across the northern half of the state.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Salt Lake City, UT wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 24, 2:42 PM MST, 3 hours 38 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT 342 PM MDT SUN MAY 24 2015 .SYNOPSIS...HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT WILL SLIDE EAST ACROSS UTAH LATE TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY. A NEW PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL SETTLE INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST THROUGH THE NORTHERN ROCKIES ON TUESDAY. THIS STORM SYSTEM WILL IMPACT MAINLY NORTHERN UTAH MIDWEEK. && .SHORT TERM (THROUGH 06Z THURSDAY)...THE UPPER LOW CURRENTLY OVER SOUTHERN WYOMING WILL CONTINUE SLOWLY EAST INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS STATES BY EARLY MONDAY. BEHIND THIS LOW THE COOL AND MOIST AIRMASS OVER THE GREAT BASIN HAS SPAWNED ISOLATED TO SCATTERED CONVECTION ACROSS UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING THIS AFTERNOON. WEAK SHORTWAVES ROTATING SOUTH BEHIND THE UPPER LOW THE LIKELY DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THE BETTER ORGANIZED CONVECTION ACROSS EXTREME SOUTHWEST THROUGH SOUTH-CENTRAL UTAH...AND OVER NORTHEAST NEVADA. THE SHORTWAVE ACROSS NORTHEAST NEVADA THE MORE INTERESTING OF THE TWO BASED ON THE COOLING CONVECTIVE CLOUD TOP AND THE CIRCULATION EVIDENT IN THE WATER VAPOR IMAGERY. SUSPECT THIS FEATURE WILL HAVE ENOUGH SHEAR AND DYNAMIC LIFT TO SUPPORT HEAVY SHOWERS AND SMALL HAIL AT LEAST THROUGH MID-EVENING. SOMEWHAT CONCERNED ABOUT EVEN HEAVIER PRECIP AS THIS FEATURE HIT THE HIGHER TERRAIN OVER SOUTHWEST UTAH LATE TONIGHT. SOME TERRAIN ENHANCEMENT ALONG WITH STILL DECENT CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT COULD LEAD TO POCKETS OF FAIRLY HEAVY PRECIP ALONG THE I-15 CORRIDOR AND IN THE MOUNTAINS TO THE EAST OVERNIGHT. A LOW-AMPLITUDE SHORTWAVE RIDGE MOVING EAST INTO THE GREAT BASIN FOR LATE TONIGHT/TUESDAY. SUBSIDENCE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FEATURE SHOULD REDUCE CONVECTION MONDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING. ENOUGH RESIDUAL MOISTURE WILL REMAIN THAT DIFFERENTIAL HEATING SHOULD GENERATE PLENTY OF CONVECTIVE CLOUD COVER OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN...WITH SOME LOW TOPPED CONVECTION PRODUCING POCKETS OF BRIEF RAIN DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. THE UPPER LOW SETTLING INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST/NORTHERN ROCKIES TUESDAY WILL PRIMARILY IMPACT THE NORTHERN HALF OF UTAH MIDWEEK. THE CYCLONIC WEST-SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT TOT HE SOUTH OF THE LOW WILL USHER IN A SERIES OF FAST-MOVING SHORTWAVES ACROSS THE NORTH LATE TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING. MOISTURE...THOUGH SOMEWHAT REDUCED WHEN COMPARED TO THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS...SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO GENERATE SCATTERED CONVECTION ASSOCIATED WITH THE PASSING SHORTWAVES. DOWN SOUTH A WARMING TREND WILL BRING TEMPS BACK TO SEASONAL NORMS WITH LITTLE THREAT FOR PRECIP. .LONG TERM (AFTER 06Z THURSDAY)...THE EC AND GFS ARE TRENDING A LITTLE STRONGER WITH THE TROUGH MOVING THROUGH THURSDAY. THE 300MB JET DIVERGENCE IS LOCATED OVER NORTHERN UTAH 12Z THURSDAY ALONG WITH SOME COLD ADVECTION BETWEEN 700 AND 500 MB. THE TROUGH SHARPENS AS IT MOVES ACROSS UTAH AND BECAUSE THIS APPEARS TO BE THE CABOOSE OF SHORTWAVES THEY TYPICALLY ARE STRONGER THAN FORECAST. THEREFORE HAVE BOOSTED POPS BETWEEN 06Z THURSDAY AND 06Z FRIDAY ACROSS MAINLY NORTHERN UTAH BUT SOME IN CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN UTAH AS WELL. HAVE LOWERED TEMPS JUST A TAD AS SOME BREAKS OF SUNSHINE LATER IN THE AFTERNOON COULD WARM IT BACK TO NEAR 70 DEGREES AT SLC WHICH IS STILL 5 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. THERE IS STILL A 500 MB CIRCULATION OVER EASTERN UTAH WELL INTO FRIDAY SO HAVE KEPT SOME POPS IN OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN AND THE EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA. HAVE REMOVED ALL POPS FOR THE WEEKEND EXCEPT FOR ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE UINTAS SATURDAY AFTERNOON. THE EC AND GFS SHOW A RIDGE OVER THE REGION THIS WEEKEND WHICH WILL BE THE FIRST RIDGE OF ANY SIGNIFICANCE THIS MAY. WARMING TREND BEGINS FRIDAY WITH ABOUT 5 DEGREES WARMING PER DAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND. WILL LIKELY SEE THE WARMEST TEMPERATURES OF THE SEASON BY SUNDAY ACROSS THE CWA. && .AVIATION...NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE AT THE SLC TERMINAL THROUGH 03-05Z. SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE VICINITY OF THE TERMINAL THROUGH THE EVENING...AND ANY SHOWERS IN THE AREA COULD CAUSE GUSTY AND ERRATIC WINDS AND OCCASIONAL CEILINGS AT ABOUT 4000- 5000 FEET. && .SLC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... UT...NONE. WY...NONE. && SHORT TERM...CONGER LONG TERM...STRUTHWOLF AVIATION...KRUSE FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA/S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT... HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/SALTLAKECITY (ALL LOWER CASE) FOR FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION VISIT... HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/SALTLAKECITY/GENERAL/AFD_FAQS.PHP (ALL LOWER CASE)
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT 944 PM MDT SAT MAY 23 2015 UTZ001>016-019>021-517-518-WYZ021-241300- CACHE VALLEY/UTAH PORTION-NORTHERN WASATCH FRONT- SALT LAKE AND TOOELE VALLEYS-SOUTHERN WASATCH FRONT- GREAT SALT LAKE DESERT AND MOUNTAINS-WASATCH MOUNTAIN VALLEYS- WASATCH MOUNTAINS I-80 NORTH-WASATCH MOUNTAINS SOUTH OF I-80- WESTERN UINTA MOUNTAINS-WASATCH PLATEAU/BOOK CLIFFS- WESTERN UINTA BASIN-CASTLE COUNTRY-SAN RAFAEL SWELL- SANPETE/SEVIER VALLEYS-WEST CENTRAL UTAH-SOUTHWEST UTAH- UTAHS DIXIE AND ZION NATIONAL PARK-SOUTH CENTRAL UTAH- GLEN CANYON RECREATION AREA/LAKE POWELL-CENTRAL MOUNTAINS- SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS-SOUTHWEST WYOMING- 944 PM MDT SAT MAY 23 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE WESTERN TWO THIRDS OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT PRECIPITATION WILL CONTINUE MANLY ACROSS SOUTHERN UTAH OVERNIGHT. SNOW LEVELS WILL REMAIN IN THE 8000 TO 9000 FOOT RANGE...HOWEVER MAY BRIEFLY LOWER WITHIN AREAS OF HEAVIER PRECIPITATION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE EXPECTED AT TIMES ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA THROUGHOUT THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND AND INTO NEXT WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. FOR MORE INFORMATION FROM NOAA/S NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VISIT... HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/SALTLAKECITY/ (ALL LOWER CASE) FOR INFORMATION ON POTENTIAL ROAD TRAVEL IMPACTS VISIT... HTTP://WWW.UDOTTRAFFIC.UTAH.GOV/ROADWEATHERFORECAST.ASPX
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UT 344 PM MDT SUN MAY 24 2015 UTZ005-242230- GREAT SALT LAKE DESERT AND MOUNTAINS UT- 344 PM MDT SUN MAY 24 2015 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WEST CENTRAL TOOELE COUNTY UNTIL 430 PM MDT... AT 343 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER WENDOVER...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH. WINDS OF 40 TO 55 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE. THE WENDOVER AIRPORTED REPORTED A WIND GUST OF 52 MPH AT 340 PM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... WENDOVER AND INTERSTATE 80 FROM WENDOVER TO WEST OF KNOLLS. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. STRONG WINDS WITH THESE STORMS MAY OCCUR WELL AHEAD OF ANY RAIN OR LIGHTNING. DO NOT WAIT FOR THE SOUND OF THUNDER BEFORE TAKING COVER. SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY INSIDE A STURDY STRUCTURE AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. && LAT...LON 4078 11404 4085 11393 4073 11346 4032 11404 TIME...MOT...LOC 2143Z 317DEG 13KT 4072 11401 CRK
The Cedar City radar (KICX), 48 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:19 UTC.
4 flash flood, 3 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Flash flooding was reported along the East Fork of the Virgin River, particularly closer to Orderville and US 89.
Flash flooding was reported along Wahweap Creek and some surrounding drainages.
Flash flooding occurred along the Paria River, with a peak flow of 2050 cfs recorded at the Paria River gauge near Kanab.
Half dollar sized hail was observed and photographed in the Pariette Wetlands south of Myton, Utah.
Nickel sized hail was reported near Sandy, Utah.
Heavy rain caused widespread flash flooding in the cities of Gunnison and Centerfield, with an approximate total of 30 homes and businesses sustaining some damage from the flood waters. About another 100 homes experienced yard flooding. Most damaged homes had minor damage to basements or lower levels. In addition, portions of the Gunnison Market grocery store were flooded, and some of the inventory was damaged.
A 58 mph wind gust was recorded at the Center Tailings sensor.
Lightning struck a house in Syracuse, Utah in the morning hours of May 28. The roof of the house caught fire, but was seen and extinguished quickly, leading to only relatively minor roof damage.
Ping-pong ball sized hail was observed and photographed in Honeyville.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Utah in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Utah, May 2015
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 582756, 582745, 582760, 582679, 582681, 582702, 582684, 582688, 582683.